Comics Editing and Writing

Comics Writing and Editing

When I tell people I write comics, they're usually confused. "So they're funny?" they ask. "No, not usually," I reply. "But they're always interesting!" I specialize in writing non-fiction comics about history, politics, and identity. Comics are a great way to make thorny and complicated topics accessible and engaging to a wide audience. In 2014, I talked with the Nieman Lab about how comics can bring new audiences to narrative nonfiction. But I also write fictional stories, including an animated political series distributed by First Look Media and the sci-fi graphic novel Open Earth. Here is a sampling of my work.

"what does wonder woman actually represent?"

THE NIB - PUBLISHED MAY 2017

As a story editor at graphic journalism outlet The Nib, I recruit artists, edit their scripts, and also research and write original nonfiction comics myself. This comic, illustrated by Lucy Bellwood, delved into the history of Wonder Woman and what she has represented as an icon over her decades on the page and screen. The challenge with this comic was to present Wonder Woman in a fresh way—she's such a well-known character, my job as a writer was to highlight perspectives on her history that would be interesting to Wonder Woman newbies and hardcore fans alike.

"declassified: the secret lives of guantanamo's women"

Symbolia Magazine • Narratively • PEN America

This comic started with a coffee date. A veteran named Laura asked to meet up to talk about her time working at the Guantanamo naval base. She felt very conflicted and confused about the months she spent living at the U.S.'s most internationally infamous prison and wanted to use art to tell her story. Together, we created the script for this comic sharing the experiences of her and another veteran. Originally created for Symbolia magazine, it was republished by PEN America in 2017. A print copy of the comic is in the Object Stories collection of the Portland Art Museum.

"OPEN EARTH"

limerence PRESS - september 2018

In 2100, a group of California scientists fleeing climate change and civil war abandon Earth in a space station. Their kids grow up as the first generation of humans born in space—and they're not interested in keeping Earth's stodgy customs around. This queer-centric sci-fi graphic novel, illustrated by Eva Cabrera and Claudia Aguirre, tells the story of one day in the life of the young people on the space station California as they make out, fall in love, fix engines, and make sense of their roles as the future of humanity. Publisher’s Weekly said, “For comics fans who dream optimistically about the future, the diverse cast and sex-positive, cooperative storyline combine into a utopian vision.”

"THE invention of monogamy"

the nib, november 2017

Americans tend to think of monogamy as part of human nature—but actually it's a rather recent invention! Based on the research of numerous anthropologists and historians, This comic illustrated by Isabella Rotman lays out how social and economic factors led to the creation of monogamy as a norm for married women. It quickly became the most popular piece I've ever written.